Mandala

2019

Immerse yourself in Mandala, a two-player card game of strategic play and vibrant colors. Score by collecting valuable cards in a dynamic, unfolding ritual.

20
minutes

2 - 2
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

Mandala is a fascinating board game that invites you to immerse yourself in the world of abstract strategy and vibrant colors. The game is set in the spiritual universe of the traditional Indian mandala, a symbol of complex symmetry and interconnection. As players, you will compete to gain the most points through skillful placement of cards on the mandala, representing your journey towards spiritual enlightenment.

In terms of core mechanics, Mandala is a two-player game where each turn you’ll be performing one of three actions: play cards into the mountain, play cards into your field, or draw cards. The aim is to dominate the mountain in the center of the board with cards of your color, while also defending your own field from your opponent.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The board game ‘Mandala’ includes a variety of components. Understanding what each component does and how it interacts with the game is crucial to mastering the gameplay.

1. Game Board

The Game Board is the central component of the game. It is where all the action takes place and is divided into two separate ‘Mandalas’. Each Mandala is divided into three sections: the Mountain, the two River sections, and the Cup. Players will play cards into the Mountain and their River to try and control the distribution of cards into the Cups.

2. Playing Cards

There are 110 Playing Cards in the game, divided into 6 different colours. These cards are played into the Mountain and River sections of the Mandala. When a Mandala is completed, the cards from the Mountain are distributed into the players’ cups based on who has the majority in their River. The objective is to have the most cards in a player’s own cup by the end of the game.

3. Bowls

The game includes two Bowls, one for each player. These Bowls are referred to as ‘Cups’ within the game. The Cups are where players collect their cards from completed Mandalas. The player with the most cards in their Cup at the end of the game is the winner.

4. Cloth Bag

The Cloth Bag is used to hold the Playing Cards. At the start of the game, all cards are placed in the bag and drawn randomly. The bag ensures that the card draw is fair and random, adding an element of unpredictability to the game.

5. Rulebook

The Rulebook provides all the necessary information on how to play the game. It explains the purpose of each component, the game setup, the turn order, and the rules for playing cards and completing Mandalas. It is essential for understanding how to play and win the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Mandala is a strategy board game for two players. The objective of the game is to collect more cloth than your opponent. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game.

Step 1: Set up the Game Board

Place the game board in the center of the playing area. The board contains two circular areas known as “Mandalas”. Each Mandala is divided into three zones: the Mountain, the Field, and the Cup.

Step 2: Prepare the Deck

Shuffle the 110 cards in the deck and deal six to each player. Place the remaining deck to the side of the game board.

Step 3: Set Up the Initial Resources

Each player has a cup in front of them. At the start of the game, this cup is empty. The cards from the deck will be used as resources.

Step 4: Determine the First Player

Randomly determine who will be the first player. This player will take the first turn when the game begins.

Step 5: Start the Game

The first player begins the game by drawing a card from the deck and placing it on one of the two Mountains on the game board. The game continues clockwise.

Here are some additional details on player roles, board placement, and random elements:

Player Roles: There are no specific player roles in Mandala. Each player attempts to collect more cloth than their opponent by strategically placing cards on the game board.
Board Placement: Cards can be placed in either the Mountain or Field of a Mandala. Players cannot place cards in their opponent’s Field. At the end of each round, cards in the Mountain and the player’s Field are moved to the player’s Cup.
Initial Resources: Players start the game with six cards in their hand. These cards are the player’s initial resources for the game.
Random Elements: The order of the cards in the deck and the initial hands of the players are determined randomly at the start of the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Mandala is a two-player abstract strategy game that revolves around creating and claiming ‘Mandalas’ on a shared board. The game consists of several rounds, each of which is divided into three primary phases: Playing a Card, Building Mandalas, and Claiming Mandalas. Let’s delve into the specifics of each phase.

Playing a Card:

Hand Card: On a player’s turn, they may play a card from their hand into one of the two Mandalas. This card can be placed in either the mountain (middle section) or the field (section closer to the player) of the Mandala.
Deck Card: Alternatively, the player may choose to play a card directly from the deck into the mountain of either Mandala.

Building Mandalas:

Players continue alternating turns, playing cards into the Mandalas. A Mandala is complete when it contains all six colors in its mountain and/or fields.
The cards in the mountain and fields form separate color groups. Players can only add cards to a Mandala if the new card’s color is not already present in that Mandala’s mountain or their field.

Claiming Mandalas:

Once a Mandala is complete, the players claim the cards. The player who has the most cards in their field of the completed Mandala begins. This player must choose a color group from the mountain and add it to their ‘River’ or ‘Cup’.
The players alternate choosing color groups until all the cards in the mountain have been claimed. Then, each player takes all the cards in their field of the completed Mandala and places them in their ‘Cup’.
Points are scored based on the number of cards in a player’s ‘Cup’ at the end of the game, with additional points awarded for cards in a player’s ‘River’.

The game continues in this manner, with players playing cards, building Mandalas, and claiming cards. When all the cards from the deck and players’ hands have been played and all the Mandalas have been claimed, the game ends. The player with the most points from their ‘Cup’ and ‘River’ is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Mandala is a strategic board game with a blend of tactical decision-making and the beauty of abstract gaming. During a player’s turn in Mandala, the player can perform one of three possible actions: play cards, pick up cards, or sacrifice cards. The choices made by a player will affect the future course of the game.

1. Playing Cards:

A player can choose to play cards from their hand to either their personal Mountain or River or to the common Mandala. The choice of where to play the cards is strategic and affects the game in the following ways:

Mountain or River: Playing cards in your Mountain or River allows you to control the kind of cards you will get during the ‘Pick Up Cards’ phase. It’s essential to consider what cards your opponent might want or need before deciding where to place your cards.
Mandala: Playing cards in the Mandala is a way to control the pace of the game. Once all six colors are present in a Mandala, it is completed and the ‘Sacrifice Cards’ phase begins.

2. Picking Up Cards:

A player can choose to pick up cards from the central pile. This action ends the player’s turn immediately. The cards chosen will go into the player’s hand and will be used in future turns. The strategic considerations here involve deciding when to pick up cards:

Early in the game: It is often advantageous to pick up cards early in the game to have more options during the ‘Play Cards’ phase. However, this also means ending your turn and giving control to your opponent.
Later in the game: Picking up cards later in the game allows you to react to your opponent’s moves. It can help you to complete a Mandala or block your opponent from doing so.

3. Sacrificing Cards:

Once a Mandala is completed, a player can choose to sacrifice cards. This involves moving cards from the Mandala to your River. The order in which cards are chosen is crucial as it affects the points earned at the end of the game:

First choice: The player who completed the Mandala gets the first choice of cards. This can be used to secure a specific color that is worth more points.
Subsequent choices: After the first choice, players alternate choosing cards until all have been claimed. This means that the player who did not complete the Mandala can potentially claim more cards, depending on the number of colors present.

These strategic choices in Mandala require careful consideration of both your own and your opponent’s potential actions. The game is a balance of risk and reward, with players needing to adapt their strategies based on the current state of the game board.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Mandala’ ends when all the cards from the deck have been played and both mandalas have been scored. At this point, the final scoring phase begins.

Victory Conditions:

In ‘Mandala’, the player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner. Scoring is based on the number of cards a player has in their river and the number of different colors they have in their cup.

Actions Players Must Take Before Final Scoring:

Scoring a Mandala: Whenever a mandala has all six colors, it is scored immediately. Starting with the player who completed the mandala, each player chooses one color of cards from the mandala’s mountain and places them in their cup. Then, they take the remaining cards of that color from the mandala’s river and places them in their river. This process is repeated until all cards have been taken.
Emptying the Deck: When the deck is empty, players continue playing until there are no more possible moves. At that point, any remaining cards in the mandalas are scored following the same rules as scoring a mandala.
Final Scoring: After all mandalas have been scored and the deck is empty, final scoring begins. Each player counts the number of cards in their river. Then, they score points for each different color in their cup, with each color scoring as many points as the number of cards of that color in their river. For example, if a player has three blue cards in their cup and seven blue cards in their river, they would score 21 points for blue.

Remember, strategic planning and mindful play are key to winning in ‘Mandala’. Happy gaming!

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Mandala’, the scoring system revolves around collecting and trading coloured sand cards and controlling sections of the mandala. Each player’s score is determined by the total value of their collected cards at the end of the game.

Points Awarded:

Coloured Sand Cards: At the end of the game, players count up the number of different coloured sand cards they have collected. Each card has a point value equal to the number of cards of that colour the player has. For example, if a player has collected four blue cards, the blue cards are worth four points each, for a total of 16 points.
Mandala Control: Throughout the game, players can take control of different sections of the mandala board by having a majority of their stones in that section. Each section controlled at the end of the game is worth two points.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the following rules are applied in order until a winner is found:

The player who has the most cards in their highest scoring colour wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most cards in their second highest scoring colour wins.
This process continues down through each player’s scoring colours until a winner is found. If all colours are equal, the game is a true tie.

Remember, the strategy in ‘Mandala’ comes from not just collecting cards, but also effectively controlling sections of the board, and outsmarting your opponent in the process of card trading and placement.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The board game ‘Mandala’ is a two-player abstract strategy game with simple rules but deep strategic depth. However, there are some rare or special rules, exceptions and important clarifications that players should be aware of:

1. Rule on color placement:

In the game, players cannot place the same color of cards on both Mandalas at the same time. This is a unique rule that can often be overlooked. Each turn, a player can only place the same color of cards on one Mandala, not both. This rule is crucial to game strategy and can often determine the winner of the game.

2. The ‘No Card’ Exception:

If a player has no cards left in their hand, they do not draw new cards until the start of their next turn. This rule is an exception to the general rule of drawing up to your hand limit at the end of your turn. It is designed to prevent players from rushing to empty their hand in order to draw new cards immediately.

3. Rule clarification on scoring:

When scoring, if a player has no cards of a color in their ‘River’, they do not score any points for that color in their ‘Cup’. This rule is often misunderstood. The key point is that a player must have at least one card of a color in their ‘River’ to score points for that color in their ‘Cup’.

4. The ‘Single Color’ Rule:

A player may not add cards to a Mandala if all six colors are already present. This rule can seem confusing but is important to maintaining the balance of the game. Even if a player has a card of a color that is already in the Mandala, they cannot add it if all six colors are present.

5. Rule on game end:

The game ends immediately when the draw pile is exhausted and a player cannot make a legal move. This is another rule that can be easily overlooked. It’s crucial to note that the game does not necessarily end when the draw pile is exhausted, but when a player cannot make a legal move with the cards in their hand.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

The game of Mandala is a highly strategic one that requires careful thought, planning, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Multiple Turns Ahead: Mandala is a game that rewards forward-thinking. Always try to predict your opponent’s moves and plan your strategy accordingly. A well-planned game can lead to a dominating position in the later stages.
Use Your Opponent’s Moves Against Them: Keep a close eye on your opponent’s moves. If they are focusing on a particular color, you might be able to use that to your advantage by forcing them to play into a Mandala where they don’t want to.
Maximize The Use of Your River: The River is a powerful tool when used correctly. Use it to create large stacks of cards that your opponent cannot match.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the Basics: Understand the rules thoroughly before you start playing. Make sure you are clear on how to form Mandalas, claim cards and understand the scoring system.
Start Small: Initially, aim for smaller Mandalas. It’s better to secure a few points rather than aiming for a big score and risking losing everything.
Practice: Like any game, practice makes perfect. The more you play, the more you will understand the strategies and nuances of the game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not Utilizing All Colors: Each color in Mandala has its own value. Ignoring a color can result in a loss of potential points.
Ignoring Your Opponent’s Strategy: If you focus only on your game and ignore your opponent’s moves, you might fall into their trap. Always keep an eye on what they’re doing.
Playing Too Defensively: While it’s important to protect your cards, playing too defensively can limit your scoring opportunities. Balance is key in Mandala.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Manage Your Hand Efficiently: Always keep an eye on your hand size. You don’t want to run out of options. Manage your hand by playing and drawing cards effectively.
Make Use of High-Value Cards: High-value cards are a great way to secure Mandalas. Use them wisely to score big points.
Keep Track of Score: Always be aware of the score. Knowing where you stand can influence your strategy and decision-making during the game.